Richard Todd Adams as the Phantom and Marni Raab as Christine take the stage Wednesday onthe first night of “The Phantom of the Opera” at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. Performancescontinue through July 13. JAMES GIBBARD/Tulsa World

By JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer
6/23/2008
Last Modified: 6/23/2008  3:35 AM

  It's been a dozen years or so since "The Phantom of the Opera" has stalked the stage of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. And like the seemingly invincible title character, neither time nor travel has seemed to have an effect on this show.

One reason is that "The Phantom of the Opera," which opened a four-week run in Tulsa on Wednesday, again brought to town by Celebrity Attractions, is a marvelous engine of entertainment.

The story is crafted to touch on just about every narrative trope, from low comedy to high drama, romance to horror. Andrew Lloyd Webber's music is a canny blend of opera pastiche, Broadway balladry and theatrical rock, and at its best — regardless of the number of times you may have heard it — can still raise goose bumps and send chills down the spine.

And the physical production itself remains a theatrical wonder — a set design that is mobile and active enough to be considered a separate character, costumes with such a richness of detail they almost can act on their own, special effects that retain their magic even for those who have spent time backstage to see how they are created.

Most important is the concern for the show's quality by those who created it and those

entrusted with keeping it going. What audiences in Tulsa will see is as close to what debuted on a London stage 22 years ago as is physically possible to achieve.

Of course, there are subtle variations that come from the people who have to perform this show. We've seen productions of "Phantom" that were exceptional, and some did not quite work.

What we saw Friday night — the first performance officially opened to the media — was one of the good ones, in large part because of some excellent performances by the three leading players.

Let's start with Greg Mills as Raoul. Mills does the best job with this role that we've ever seen.

Most of the Raouls we've encountered in "Phantoms" past have been mannequins with decent voices. Mills brings out the character's youthful earnestness and his impetuous energy. You believe him to be a young man in love, willing to do anything necessary to protect the woman he loves.

Mills also has a wonderful voice, as evidenced in his performance of "All I Ask of You."

Marni Raab, who recently joined the production although she has performed in "Phantom" on tour and on Broadway, has the innocence of Christine down cold. It's even there in her singing — she will start out a song with an appealing, girlish quality in her voice, so that when she really opens her throat and lets go, it almost comes as a surprise. Just by her singing, Raab shows what the Phantom saw in Christine — the opera star hidden inside the chorus dancer.

And Raab's singing is impressive, with great power and expressiveness throughout her range, and the ability to shift effortlessly and seamlessly from a conversational tone to an operatic voice, which she demonstrated in "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" and "Angel of Music."

Richard Todd Adams, another recent addition to the cast, has the title role, and he is spectacular. Unlike some performers we've seen, who played up the monstrous side of this character, Adams crafts a Phantom who is much more of a tragic figure, someone who evokes as much pity as horror.

You see this in the "I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt It" scene, when Christine first gets the Phantom's mask off. Adams seems almost to crumple, scrabbling after Raab before collapsing in tears. When he's handed the mask and he slips it back into place, it's like a resurrection — the Phantom rises to his feet, his posture once again ramrod straight, projecting an aura of supreme self-confidence.

And, not surprisingly, he sings the show's signature song, "The Music of the Night," about as well as I've ever heard it done. Kim Stengel as Carlotta and John Whitney as Piangi supplied much of the comedy with their gleefully over-the-top opera stars. D.C. Anderson as Andre and Michael McCoy as Firmin handled their roles as the new owners of the opera house well.

Nancy Hess as the ballet mistress Madame Giry was a less formidable presence than some others we've seen in the role, while Jessi Ehrlich was good as Christine's confidante Meg.

There were some sound problems — the overture that accompanied the chandelier's dramatic "rebirth" sounded tinny and underpowered, not the chest-rattling wallop we've come to expect. And the sound mix during the septet "Notes/Prima Donna" was muddy, making the voices unintelligible. The similar ensemble in the second act, "Notes/Twisted Every Way," was much clearer and more effective.

The full-company scenes — the snippets of make-believe operas "Hannibal" and "Il Muto," and the grand promenade to "Masquerade" — were suitably spectacular. Jonathan Gorst conducted the orchestra, with Jennifer Choi handling the violin solos.

"The Phantom of the Opera" continues with performances through July 13. Officials with Celebrity Attractions say tickets remain available, especially for the last two weeks of the run.

For tickets, call 596-7111 or go to www.myticketoffice.com.